


For the Art

by LyriaBlackFrost



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Didn't Know They Were Dating, First Date, Fluff, M/M, Shukita Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 13:03:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18499516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Yusuke asks Akira to take him on a date, so he can understand better how romantic feelings are supposed to work. Akira is more than happy to help, at least if he can make his stupid brain understand that it’s all for the sake of art, and that his crush on Yusuke is still as one-sided as ever.ShuKita Week Day 4: First Time





	For the Art

Being in love with Yusuke wasn’t easy. While trying to confess his feelings — without any success — Akira had basically gone through the five stages of grief, and had now accepted that Yusuke either had no interest in him at all, or simply was too much in love with his own art to be interested in anything else.

So, when Yusuke asked him out on a date, Akira knew he shouldn’t get his hopes up.

“I have never been in a romantic date before,” said Yusuke,” so, I’d be truly grateful if you could accompany me in one, so I can have a better idea of how it is.”

Of course it was all for reference. At that point, Akira was already used to accompanying Yusuke to all kinds of places, so he could experience new things and, by consequence, improve his art. Despite the slight disappointment, however, part of him was grateful Yusuke always came to him for those things. He trusted Akira, and that fact alone was enough to make him happy.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated.

“Sure,” he answered with a bright smile. “Do you have anything in mind?”

“Well…” Yusuke thought for a while. “I’m not that well-informed in the subject, but I’ve heard that amusement parks are quite popular with couples.

Great… His worst nightmare was coming to life. To tell the truth, Akira wasn’t too fond of heights and high-speeds, so it wasn’t surprising that he would avoid amusement parks as much as he could. But he also would do anything for Yusuke, and, consequently, for his art. He had learned to love both, and, if he had to face a roller-coaster for their sake, then he would start to prepare his stomach for the worst.

They planned their date for the next Sunday, and, before he knew it, the day had come. Akira waited for Yusuke at the Shibuya station, staring at his phone, just changing from one screen to the other, trying to calm himself down. He had been a ball of anxiety since the previous night, and no matter how much he reminded himself that it was “just for the art”, he couldn’t feel less excited about that day. At that point, he had given up on Yusuke ever returning his feelings, so going on a date with him, no matter the reason, was still something he knew he would remember fondly for his whole life.

Yusuke arrived some time later, as gorgeous as always, and when he offered him a bright smile, Akira fell in love all over again.

He was a lost cause…

“Thank you for coming with me,” said Yusuke. “I was so excited that I barely had any sleep last night.”

“Me neither,” admitted Akira. “So, shall we go?”

They took the train to Dome Town, chatting as they walked together. At the amusement park, Akira looked at his worst enemy, who seemed to be staring back at him, challenging him to face its loops and falls. He honestly wasn’t looking forward to it.

“It looks… Really high,” said Yusuke.

“And fast…” added Akira.

They looked at each other, and it was clear Yusuke shared his lack of enthusiasm.

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, after all,” said the artist.

Akira let out a relieved sigh.

“Wanna go somewhere else?” he asked.

“But where to?”

“I’m not really an expert in dates… The most romantic places I can think of are the movies, the park, and the planetarium.”

“Haven’t we visited all of those together, already?”

“Now that you mention it…”

Yusuke let out a low, amused giggle.

“I surely wasn’t expecting such a turn of events…” he said.

His expression made Akira smile. The sudden change of plans didn’t seem to have discouraged his friend in the least.

“Well, we can still spend some time together,” said Akira. “It won’t be like a perfect date, but… When you think about it, don’t most couples lose some of their romanticism after some time together?”

As he said it, both Ann and Shiho, and Ryuji and Yuuki came to mind. Both couples had been together for months, and whenever Akira saw them together now, they seemed more comfortable around each other than romantic.

“You make a good point,” agreed Yusuke. “What I want, after all, is a meaningful date, not an idealistic one.”

“So, let’s act like an old couple?”

“Sounds good to me.”

The way Yusuke didn’t deny it made Akira’s heart float. _Keep your expectations low_ , the rational part of his brain kept saying, but he also wanted to enjoy that day as much as he could. So, when Yusuke reached for his hand, Akira held it, and when they sat on a bench with one ice-cream each, Akira used the chance to embrace his waist with his free arm. In many ways, it really felt like an actual date.

They left the dome town just a little later, going back to the train. When Akira asked Yusuke if there was any place he wanted to visit, unsurprisingly, the answer was an arts and crafts shop. Akira followed him through those many, many shelves of art supplies, watching with some amusement as his attention went from one thing to the other, while talking about the differences between them. Akira knew close to nothing about art, but after spending such a long time with Yusuke, he could already tell the difference between some kinds of paint, and associate the name of something to its function. So, when Yusuke said something about acrylics and oil paints, Akira knew enough of the subject not to feel like a fool. Not that Yusuke would scorn him or anything like that, but there was still a part of him that wanted to impress his friend.

In the end, Akira had to talk Yusuke out of spending all of his money in supplies, and saving some of it for food. Yusuke was disappointed, but ended up agreeing, and Akira later bought him a bowl of ramen to cheer him up. It worked pretty well.

“Where to, now?” asked Akira, as they left the restaurant.

“I would suggest a peaceful place, where we can talk without raising our voices.”

“Shibuya is out of the question, then,” he thought for a second. “We could go to the park again. It’s quiet, and I’m also feeling a little lazy after eating.”

“Very well. And, to change things a bit, we can take a walk instead of renting a boat.”

Akira agreed. They got to the park a few minutes later, taking a brief walk before making a pause, finding a free bench under a tree, which provided them with a nice shadow. For long minutes, they simply talked to each other, and, at some point, Yusuke started to sketch as they did. Akira observed him for a moment, then a low chuckle escaped his lips, making Yusuke look at him, curious.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Akira shook his head. “I just realized that, despite it being a date, it doesn’t feel that different from usual.”

Yusuke thought about it for a moment.

“That’s true…” he concluded. “Does it bother you?”

“Of course not,” answered Akira. “But you wanted to experience a romantic date, so… I don’t think I was of much help, after all.”

This time, Yusuke was the one laughing.

“Don’t be silly,” he said. “I’m enjoying it quite a bit myself.”

“Is that so?”

Yusuke nodded, and Akira felt relieved to know that. He glanced at the lake, not far from them, being reminded of the last time they visited the place. It had been… awkward, to say the least. But Akira was still fond of that memory, especially since it helped him see new sides of Yusuke he didn’t know existed — which, in turn, helped him fall in love.

“Don’t move,” asked Yusuke.

Akira glanced at him through the corner of his eyes, without moving his head.

“Why?” he asked. “Are you drawing me?”

“Yes.”

“Really? With so many pretty things around, you choose me?”

“Yes, and please stop moving.”

Akira went quiet, just waiting in that same position, until Yusuke finished his sketch, a few minutes later.

“Done,” said Yusuke. “I appreciate your patience.”

“Can I see it?”

Yusuke offered Akira his sketchbook, opened in a simple, but still high-detailed drawing of him, with a light smile and distracted gaze. He looked like some kind of model, and the thought made Akira smile, amused.

“Damn, I look so beautiful!” he said.

“Why, of course,” answered Yusuke. “That part shouldn’t be a surprise.”

Akira raised his eyes to him, a warm feeling going up his neck and face. He laughed in an attempt to hide it.

“C’mon,” he said, “you’ll make me feel embarrassed…”

Yusuke simply looked at him, a light smile in his face. Then, without a warning, he reached for the side of Akira’s head, gently caressing his hair with his fingers.

“If anything,” he whispered, getting a little closer to Akira, “you look even more beautiful like this.”

Akira looked at him, unable to react as Yusuke leaned in his direction, closing his eyes. Part of him wanted to do the same, but, as soon as their lips softly brushed against each other, a bitter feeling took his chest, and he turned his face, placing both hands on Yusuke’s shoulders, carefully moving him away.

“Yusuke…” he said. “Isn’t this going a little too far?”

Yusuke stopped, seeming a little surprised by his reaction.

“Is it?” he asked. “My apologies… I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, you didn’t! It’s just…” Akira lowered his eyes with a brief sigh. “This kind of thing… you should probably do with someone you like.”

His words made Yusuke stare at him, furrowing his brow.

“What do you mean?” he asked. “I _do_ like you.”

“I mean that in a romantic way, not as a friend.”

“A friend…?”

Yusuke’s expression changed to something between shock and deject.

“I didn’t think…” he seemed lost with his own words. “I asked you out because I thought you shared my romantic feelings!”

Akira needed a moment to absorb the meaning of those words.

“Shared…?” he widened his eyes. “Wait… Do you like me?”

“I thought that much was clear…” answered Yusuke. “Don’t _you_ like me?”

“I do! But… Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I did,” he made a brief, thoughtful pause. “But maybe I wasn’t as clear as I initially believed…”

Akira’s mind started to race, as he searched his memories for anything like that.

“When?” he asked.

“Last weekend, when I spent the night in your room.”

Finally, a light went on in Akira’s head. The image of both Yusuke and himself sitting on his bed, watching a movie together. Yusuke had placed an arm around his shoulders, in a gesture he became more than used to, thanks to Ryuji, and spoke to him in a low, soft voice:

‘ _I treasure the time we spend together above anything else, and I don’t think I would be able to experience all these emotions with any other person. So, if it’s not asking much, would you allow me to stay by your side even longer? So you can keep showing me these amazing things I never knew before?’_

After that, Akira had simply agreed with a smile. He remembered feeling happy to know Yusuke enjoyed their time together that much, but…

“Was that… a love confession?” he asked.

“Of course!” answered Yusuke. “What else would it be?”

“I thought… You liked to go out with me because it gave you inspiration for your art.”

There was a moment of silence between them.

“Well…” said Yusuke. “To be fair, that’s not exactly wrong, but… Is that really all you got from it?”

“Yes…”

“So, when you agreed to go out with me today…?

“Yes.”

Yusuke stared at him, mortified, then covered his face with a hand, closing his eyes in a light grimace.

“And I thought it was going so well…”

Akira observed him, still overwhelmed with all that information. Yusuke liked him? Did it mean they were on an actual date at that very moment? Wait… Were they a _couple_?

His brain was frying, and, before he could stop it, he started laughing.

“Don’t laugh…” asked Yusuke. “This is a tragedy!”

“I can’t stop…” said Akira. “I’m a nervous wreck right now! It’s stronger than me!”

To his surprise, Yusuke smiled gently, pulling him closer, hugging him, waiting as he calmed himself down. It took Akira a minute to stop laughing like a maniac, and another one to sort his thoughts out.

“So, you like me?” he asked.

“Very much so.”

“Damn…”

Akira placed a hand over his mouth, reliving that same moment with this new knowledge. Maybe he was too used to how affectionate Ryuji and Ann acted toward him, but, unlike them, Yusuke didn’t always put his feelings into words. Of course what he had said carried a deep meaning, but Akira, as deep as he was in his “unrequited” love, hadn’t been able to see it.

“I’m sorry…” he said in a low voice. “I can’t believe I got it so wrong.”

“Don’t apologize. I probably should have been more clear with my intentions.”

Akira nodded, turning his face to look at Yusuke.

“You like me…” he repeated. “Wow, that’s amazing…”

“Well, since we were at different pages this whole time…” Yusuke placed a hand on his face, caressing his cheek. “Would you want to go out with me? As a romantic partner?”

Akira thought his heart would burst at any second.

“Sure!”

Without thinking much, he threw his arms around Yusuke’s neck, while Yusuke closed his arms around his waist. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying that embrace, until Akira heard Yusuke’s voice close to his ear.

“Considering how much of a fiasco our first date was, we should go on an actual date next time.”

“I don’t think it was bad,” answered Akira. “But I won’t say no to that.”

He considered it for a moment, before proceeding.

“But, you know…” a brief pause. “The day isn’t over yet.”

“That’s true.”

With an excited smile on his lips, Akira moved away from Yusuke, looking at him before closing his eyes, tipping his head up in an expectant gesture. Soon, Yusuke’s lips were on his, this time in a proper kiss, and Akira couldn’t hold back a light smile.

It had definitely been worth the wait.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic, kudos and comments are highly appreciated! ♥


End file.
